underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld 

1

: the place of departed souls : hades

2

archaic : earth

3

: the side of the earth opposite to one : antipodes

4

: a social sphere below the level of ordinary life

the town's seedy underworld

especially : the world of organized crime

Synonyms of underworld

• abyss
• netherworld
• depths
• demimonde

Examples of underworld in a Sentence

a magazine article taking an insightful look at the underworld inhabited by street people

Recent Examples on the Web

Kuang consults everything from Dante’s Inferno to mind-bending logic concepts like the impossible Penrose stairs to create the landscape and mechanics of her underworld. —Lucy Feldman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025

Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 drops you into the galaxy’s underworld as Kay Vess, a scoundrel trying to pull off the biggest heist in the Outer Rim. —PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Set in London’s East End in the 1880s, A Thousand Blows triangulates on three figures in the city’s shady underworld. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

There was also a lot of speculation that Ruby was involved with organized crime, as he was known to be friends with mobsters, mafia members and other members of the criminal underworld. —Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing underworld

• the underworld

Rhymes for underworld

• netherworld
• otherworld
• curled
• furled
• hurled
• knurled
• swirled
• twirled
• whirled
• whorled
• world
• lifeworld

Kids Definition

underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld 

1

: the place of the souls of the dead

2

: the side of the earth opposite to one

3

: the world of organized crime